The Trust has been granted the funds by Arts Council England to diversify and strengthen the leadership of Coventry’s cultural organisations.

The Coventry City of Culture Trust announced today that they have been awarded funding from Arts Council England to deliver a new leadership training programme for the city.

The Trust has been granted £450,000 by Arts Council England, following a highly competitive process to deliver its Transforming Leadership programme over two-and-a-half years to a diverse cohort of 15 established, independent and emerging cultural leaders.

The cohort, aiming to diversify and strengthen the leadership of Coventry’s cultural organisations, museums and libraries, will co-create a management training programme to help nurture a new generation of cultural entrepreneurs who represent and reflect the city of Coventry.

The programme, which will begin in January 2020 will contribute to the legacy of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture in 2021.

Participants will be selected through an inclusive recruitment process that will seek out individuals with a passion for their city, creative business ideas that need to be nurtured and an understanding of the impact that cultural activity can make have on the lives of all citizens.

The programme is inspired by Arts Council England research which shows that there is unequal access to cultural management and leadership opportunities across the UK. It is also intended to address similar issues as set out in Coventry’s 10-year cultural strategy.

The Coventry City of Culture Trust led the application for funding from Arts Council England and will now work with a range of partners to deliver the Transforming Leadership programme, including People Make It Work, Coventry University, Warwick Arts Centre, CUSE CIC, Beatfreeks Collective, and TRG Arts.

Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “This investment will help us, and all partners involved, to support brilliant cultural leaders to thrive beyond 2021, ensuring a meaningful legacy for the city.”

Doreen Foster, Director of Warwick Arts Centre, said: “Being UK City of Culture is so much more than putting on a great show for the year that Coventry holds the title.

“It is an opportunity to use this time, this spotlight, to create real and lasting change and developing leaders in the arts and culture sector who reflect the city and society we live in is a great way of doing that.”

Peter Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “A key part of the Arts Council’s role is to invest in people to ensure the sector is led by diverse, resilient and creative individuals.

“This programme led by Coventry City of Culture Trust will support an exciting cohort of diverse, cultural entrepreneurs working in Coventry, nurturing a new generation of leaders to help ensure that the legacy of UK City of Culture 2021 is reflected in arts and cultural organisations across the city for years to come.”

The Trust expects to begin recruitment for participants in Autumn 2020 and encourages anyone wishing to be notified when the application process begins to email TL@coventry2021.co.uk.